This invention relates to stable oil-in-water emulsions for use in cosmetic compositions comprising an oil phase which contains the combination of a polysaccharide such as an amino-multicarboxylate starch derivative and a dimethicone copolyol as an emulsifier, and a water phase.
Emulsions are two phase systems consisting of two incompletely miscible liquids, one being dispersed in the other. The most common emulsions are those of oil and water and there are two types of emulsions, namely those in which oil globules are dispersed in water ("oil-in-water" emulsions) and those in which water globules are dispersed in oil ("water-in-oil" emulsions). The present invention involves oil-in-water type emulsions, i.e., where water is the continuous phase and oil is the dispersed or discontinuous phase.
Oil-in-water type emulsions are widely used in cosmetic and dermatolgical compositions or applications, particularly skin, hair and body care compositions, because they help provide aesthetic and appearance characteristics such as gentleness and feel. However, these oil-in-water emulsions often contain well known or classical type surfactants or emulsifying agents which can cause skin irritation or allergic reactions and also may not be compatible with other constituents in the emulsion formulation.
Accordingly, what is desired is an oil-in-water emulsion which is stable and compatible and avoids causing problems such as skin irritations and allergic reactions and are especially useful in cosmetic compositions.